Research Interests:

My group’s research is focused on the synthesis, structure elucidation, spectroscopy, and structure-property correlations in f element materials. Our development of novel heavy element materials containing elements beyond neptunium is essentially unique in the world. We have a variety of different projects, but all of them begin by developing new synthetic methods that give us access to crystalline compounds. We rely heavily on single crystal X-ray diffraction because the structures of our materials are so complex that they cannot be determined by any other method. The properties that we seek vary widely, but include: 1) selective cation and anion exchange that are used to develop advanced waste forms for radionuclides, 2) long range magnetic ordering in both 4f and 5f compounds, 3) chemical differentiation between rare earth ions that possess very similar chemistry (this has applications in separation technologies), 4) development of noncentrosymmetric materials with both 4f and 5f elements (the applications here are primarily focused on NLO materials), 5) understanding the incorporation of radionuclides into mineral and mineral-like phases, 6) development of materials that are highly resistant to radiation damage, 7) effects of high pressures on the synthesis of new materials and how properties change under extreme conditions. Some of our major discoveries include the first pertechnetate-selective anion exchange material, the first three oxidation state neptunium compound, the first chemical differentiation between trivalent lanthanides and actinides using oxoanions, and the isolation of several new compounds containing tetraoxoiodate(V).